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Companies are filling their workplaces with whiteboards, chalkboard-painted walls, writeable glass and tables covered in dry-erase materials. The hope is that allowing workers to scribble on the walls and furniture will facilitate the genesis and sharing of new ideas.

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Newly appointed executives probably already know the importance of nurturing relationships, but their existing interpersonal techniques might not work as well in a larger role, writes Mary Jo Asmus. Small-group meetings still have a place in the new manager's toolkit, but it's also important to develop the skills needed for running all-hands meetings and other large-group sessions.

A young Muscovite named Marat Dupri -- the "skywalker" -- has found fame by dodging cops and security guards to free-climb his city's Stalinist skyscrapers, statues and industrial installations. Dupri always takes a camera along on his expeditions, resulting in some stomach-churning photos of his high-altitude exploits.

In the heat of battle, Napoleon once told an underling, "You may ask me for anything you like except time." Modern leaders should take a similarly strong line on time-wasters and procrastinators, writes W. Thomas Smith Jr. "Procrastination for a leader is nothing less than the disregarding of opportunity, the irresponsible mismanagement of assets and the negligence of people," he warns.

James Murdoch's public appearances before committees investigating the News Corp. hacking scandal have become an embarrassment for all concerned, writes Margaret Heffernan. To avoid meeting a similar fate, bosses should be careful not to appear overconfident or over-reliant on B-school jargon during their public appearances. "Murdoch Jr. isn't the first executive called upon to convey greater authority than he naturally has," Heffernan writes. "Everyone has to do this at some point in their career -- so it's worth taking note of where he goes wrong."

America retains a powerful allure for foreign brands and foreign consumers, says Kees Kruythoff, the Netherlands-born president of Unilever's North American operations. "People like to talk about China or India or Brazil," Kruythoff says. "But when you grow up in Europe, you always hear of the American dream and what that represents."